The Fanwood Memorial Library has always been a great place to study or enjoy a book. Over the last few months – to accommodate for the growing community of learners – the library has undergone a large renovation and expansion. It reopened on Tuesday Sept. 10, 2024 and has been a progressive addition to the Fanwood area.
When asked about how the opening ceremony went, library director David Weiss told The Fanscotian, “Fantastically. We had probably between five and 600 people through the door that day, and everybody is just super happy to sort of see the long awaited new library finally open.”
The yellow building at the intersection of North Ave and Tillotson Road is complete with a modern yet historic feel. The freshly-mowed lawn in front of the library makes the space feel welcoming.
When looking at the interior, the library has two spacious levels and an elevator for wheelchair accessibility, a major factor in the renovation project. The previous library had only a narrow, steep staircase to access the basement – and other safety hazards inside. Common flooding and creakiness of floors were also an issue.
The library’s new features – inside and out – have gained the attention of many people in town.
“My initial impressions are that we’re getting a lot more foot traffic than we used to, and I’m seeing a lot of [highschoolers], which is really fantastic,” Weiss said. “And I think high school and middle school kids are coming over, because it’s kind of a cool building, everybody wants to take a look. And then when you get inside, there’s some cool spaces.”
Along with shelves and shelves of books, the library also offers computers for public use and a childrens’ section for the youth to play and read. The Fanwood Memorial Library has worked to make the building a place where children of all ages can feel included.
There are programs for teens offered at the library as well.
“Anyone needing volunteer hours may want to join our Teen Volunteer Group, which will help decide the programs that the library runs, influence the books that we purchase, and generally just provide help to library staff by shelf reading and preparing crafts,” Fanwood Memorial Library Head of Youth Services Amy Donnadio said. “There are also a few monthly teen programs including a drop in craft time, a read-what-you want book club, and starting in November a gaming club.”
Though the renovation started this year, over a decade of planning has gone into the construction of this library. The 8.2 million dollar project took about nine months to complete. Demolition of the library spanned Jan. 2024 and the rebuilding process began soon after. Within the last few summer months, major progress has been seen on the library.
Certain parameters regarding the exterior of the library needed to be met, however. Fanwood is recognized by the State Historic Preservation Organization (SHPO) as a historic town, meaning any new buildings must continue to preserve the historicism of the town.
“And because of that, [we] have to conform to certain things,” Weiss said. “And so [SHPO] took a look at the plans, and the historic folks, they don’t care about function. They’re only interested in the form, what does it look like on the outside? Does it look sufficiently historic? And is it too big? Is it too distracting?”
While the new look of the library is undoubtedly a major improvement, it is important to remember the previous version of the library that remained there for over 60 years. On Dec. 16, 1956, the Fanwood Memorial Library opened for the very first time. It was less than half the size of the building standing there today.
“People loved [the old library], you know, people have fond memories of it from when they were kids or when, ‘I was a kid, and I went there’. And now that I live in town, I’m taking my kids there,” Weiss said. “So all that is great. I think people will find it’s just, it’s the same, it’s the same small town, kind of friendly flavor, just in a much nicer space.”
The Fanwood Memorial Library has been an integral part of the Fanwood community prior to and since the rebuild. It may have a new structure, but the library will continue to carry on a lasting legacy that has remained there for well over half a century.
